Ablation stent for treating atrial fibrillation

a technology of atrial fibrillation and stent, which is applied in the field of atrial fibrillation stent, apparatus and method for treating atrial fibrillation by ablation therapy, can solve the problems of severe and rapidly fatal, difficult electrophysiological mapping of such sites, and dyspnea, so as to prevent stenosis of veins

Inactive Publication Date: 2007-04-24
CARDIAC PACEMAKERS INC
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Benefits of technology

[0005]An objective of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for pulmonary vein ablation in order to treat atrial fibrillation. In accordance with the invention, a stent catheter having a stent mounted thereon is introduced into the left atrium of a patient. The stent is deployed by expansion of the stent within a pulmonary vein or ostium of the vein. The stent expansion may be performed with a balloon at the distal end of the stent catheter or by a self-expanding stent. Tissue surrounding the deployed stent is then ablated to stop discharges from ectopic foci in the vein from reaching the left atrium. After the ablatio

Problems solved by technology

When this occurs in the left ventricle, the heart chamber responsible for pumping blood into the arterial vasculature, it is serious and rapidly fatal.
First, atrial fibrillation is associated with a loss of atrio-ventricular synchrony which can be hemodynamically compromising and cause such symptoms as dyspnea, fatigue, vertigo, and angina.
Accordingly, catheter techniques have been developed for ablating these sites with radiofrequency energy applied from wit

Method used

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  • Ablation stent for treating atrial fibrillation
  • Ablation stent for treating atrial fibrillation
  • Ablation stent for treating atrial fibrillation

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Embodiment Construction

[0014]As noted above, it has been found that the ectopic foci responsible for most episodes of atrial fibrillation are found in the pulmonary veins. The pulmonary veins empty into the left atrium, and a myocardial muscle sleeve extends over the proximal segment of the veins. The myocytes in these pulmonary vein sleeves, unlike ordinary atrial myocytes, exhibit spontaneous activity and can thus constitute ectopic sites responsible for initiating and maintaining atrial fibrillation. In order to block the discharges from these myocytes with ablation therapy, either the myocytes themselves are destroyed or an ablation lesion is made that destroys excitable tissue in the pathway leading from the myocytes to the left atrium.

[0015]Shown in FIG. 1A is a depiction of a stent catheter 100 having a balloon 120 at its distal end. Fitted around the balloon 120 is a vascular stent 110, which is a tubular structure made of metal or synthetic material capable of being deployed in a pulmonary vein s...

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for treating atrial fibrillation with ablation therapy in which a stent is deployed within a pulmonary vein and tissue surrounding the stent is ablated with radiofrequency energy to stop discharges from ectopic foci in the vein from reaching the left atrium. The deployed stent can then be left in place to prevent stenosis of the vein as well as allowing repeat ablation procedures as needed.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 298,738, filed on Jun. 15, 2001, under 35 U.S.C. 119(e).FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention pertains to methods for treating atrial tachyarrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation. In particular, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for treating atrial fibrillation by ablation therapy.BACKGROUND[0003]Fibrillation refers to a condition in which muscle fibrils enter a state of extremely rapid, small-scale contractions that do not coordinate to effect contraction of the muscle as a whole. When this occurs in the left ventricle, the heart chamber responsible for pumping blood into the arterial vasculature, it is serious and rapidly fatal. When it occurs in the musculature of the atria, it is less immediately serious and not necessarily fatal. It is still important to treat atrial fibrillation, however, for several reasons. First, atrial fibrillation i...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): A61F2/06A61N1/05A61B18/14A61F2/82
CPCA61B18/1492A61F2/82A61B2018/00214A61B2018/00375
Inventor FELLOWS, CHRISBOWE, WADE A.WOOD, DAVID S.
Owner CARDIAC PACEMAKERS INC
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